Chasing down: quelling the Canadian Goose population

OKANAGAN — April is often symbolized with painted and chocolate eggs, but it’s also the time of year when experts tamper with goose nests as a way of preventing the bird’s population from soaring.

The Okanagan Valley Goose Management Program has been controlling the non-migratory geese population for seven years through the process of egg addling. This season will be the eighth year.

Egg addling requires shaking or coating eggs with non-toxic biodegradable food-grade corn oil within a specific time period. This practices makes the eggs unhatchable. But the eggs are returned the nest, where the mother will sit on them, waiting for them to hatch. When she realizes they won’t hatch, it’s too late in the mating season to lay more eggs.

The process is carried out by trained professionals who identify mating pairs and nesting sites. They target geese populations in public areas to prevent a drastic increase in the bird population throughout the Okanagan.

Program coordinators are always looking for new nests, and are asking for help from the public. Reports of lone geese, pairs of geese, or nest locations on private or public land can be emailed to coordinator@okanagangooseplan.com or called in to 1-877-943-3209. The public is also asked to keep away from goose nests and to avoid touching the eggs.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Meaghan Archer at marcher@infotelnews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

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